Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal has shared the unsettling details of the onset of a manic episode that resulted in his hospitalization and subsequent diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
In a candid interview, the father-of-three recounted experiencing “extreme highs,” hallucinations, and suicidal thoughts, all exacerbated by only sleeping one to two hours per night.
As his condition worsened, with hallucinations including imagining “a gun on the table,” doctors admitted Blumenthal to a psychiatric hospital in November last year, where he remained for 20 days.
The 58-year-old chef described how his episode sparked an overwhelming desire to “save the world” and “love every single person.”
He added, “I’d vomit ideas… I was so excited, talking about making stuff. It was true mania.”
